Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-Adhkar - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (1/144)

Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-AdhkarAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

The attributes of Allah mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah are unambiguous. However, because this man possessed little knowledge and poor discernment, the matter became unclear to him and he hastened to object. Ibn Abbās—may Allah be pleased with him and his father—rebuked him for this and informed him that such objection is a path to ruin.

It thus becomes clear that one’s duty concerning the names and attributes is to accept them with submission, and that a Muslim must guard most carefully against the path of those who deviate regarding Allah’s names and attributes—whether by denying them, rejecting some of them as false, distorting their meanings, likening them to the attributes of created beings, or following other such paths of misguidance. Exalted and Most Holy is Allah above all of that.

The methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah in this momentous matter is to affirm the attributes of perfection and majesty that Allah has affirmed for Himself and that His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—affirmed for Him, without distortion or denial, and without asking how or likening them to creation. They also deny every imperfection and defect that Allah has denied of Himself and that His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—denied of Him. In all of this, they do not go beyond the Quran and hadith.

There is no doubt that this great methodology has many effects upon a servant’s righteousness, uprightness, fear of his Lord, and mindfulness of Him. The more a servant knows of Allah and of His names and attributes, the more he fears Allah, seeks Him, and draws near to Him.

As for one who opposes this methodology, turns away from this straight path, and follows the ways of those who deviate regarding Allah’s names and attributes, how far removed he is from knowing his Lord and Creator! Indeed, he will be among those who know Allah least and who have the least fear and reverence of Him.

This is why Ibn al-Qayyim—may Allah have mercy on him—says, after explaining that people’s varying degrees of knowledge of Allah stem from their varying degrees of knowledge and understanding of the Prophetic texts, and their knowledge

وصفات الله في القرآن والسنة من المحكم، إلا أنَّ هذا الرجل لقلة علمه وضعف تفريقه اشتبه عليه الأمر فبادر إلى الاستنكار، فأنكر عليه ابن عباس ﵄ ذلك وأخبر أنَّ هذا الاستنكار سبيلُ هلكه. فتبيّن بذلك أنَّ الواجب في الأسماء والصفات هو التسليم والقبول، وأن يحذر المسلمُ أشدّ الحذر من سبيل من يُلحدون في أسماء الله وصفاته إما بتعطيل لها، أو تكذيب لبعضها، أو تحريف لمعانيها، أو تمثيل لها بصفات المخلوقين، أو نحو ذلك من سبل الضلال، تعالى الله وتقدّس عن ذلك. وأهل السنة والجماعة منهجهم في هذا الباب العظيم: هو إثبات ما أثبته الله لنفسه وما أثبته له رسوله ﷺ من صفات الكمال ونعوت الجلال، دون تحريف أو تعطيل، ودون تكييف أو تمثيل، ونفي ما نفاه الله عن نفسه وما نفاه عنه رسوله ﷺ من النقائص والعيوب، ولا يتجاوزون في ذلك القرآن والحديث. ولا ريب أنَّ لهذا المنهج العظيم آثاراً كثيرةً على العبد في صلاحه واستقامته وخوفه من ربّه ومراقبته له؛ إذ إنَّ العبد كلَّما كان بالله وبأسمائه وصفاته أعلم كان من الله أخوف، وله أطلب، وإليه أقرب. أما من خالف هذا المنهج وتَنَكَّبَ هذه الجادة وسلك طرقَ أهل الزيغ في أسماء الله وصفاته فما أبعده عن معرفة ربه وخالقه، بل إنَّه يكون أضعف الناس معرفة بالله، وأقلّهم خوفاً وخشيةً منه. ولذا يقول ابن القيم ﵀ بعد أن بيّن أنَّ تفاوت الناس في معرفة الله يرجع إلى تفاوتهم في معرفة النصوص النبوية وفهمها والعلم